1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a rigid, two-head shower arm having upstream and downstream pipe portions, of integral, one-piece construction, for fixed, free-standing, cantilever-mounting relationship with a female-threaded water supply outlet fitting in a showerside wall, with the downstream pipe portion discharging shower water vertically above the upstream pipe portion, thereby spraying and covering a bather's head, shoulders and back more completely and equally with shower water.
2. Background
According to U.S. government statistics, the average male person is 5'-8" tall and the average female person is 5'-4" tall. The Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors recommends that the female-threaded water supply fitting be installed 6' to 6'-8" above the floor of the shower unit. The Kitchen and Bath Contractors Association reports that 6 to 12 million of the female-threaded water supply outlet fittings in the U.S. were incorrectly installed 5' above the floor. In point of fact, a noted do-it-yourself manual suggests that the female-threaded water supply outlet fitting be installed 5' above the floor. The average incorrect installation is anticipated to be 5'-9" above the floor. With a conventional shower arm curving downwardly and projecting vertically downward at least 4", this means that the 5'-8" average male bather still has to duck his head at least 3" just for his head to physically clear and not strike the shower head itself. With a single-head shower arm installed 5' off the floor, a male bather of 5'-8" average height has to vertically contract his body 12" and, therefore, has no choice but to squat down to shampoo his hair, let alone to bathe his body. A female bather of 5'-4" average height would likewise encounter a similar problem.
To correct the problem requires removal of shower-side-wall tile, breaking through the shower-side-wall sheetrock to gain internal access to install a coupling and a 12"-20" nipple to raise and vertically extend the female-threaded water supply outlet fitting a like amount, rehanging the sheetrock, re-installing new ceramic tile and caulking the tuib-wall seam. There would be additional expenses: (1) if the shower-side wall is plaster and lathe; (2) if the entire bathroom had to be repainted to blend the damaged shower-side wall with the rest; (3) if tiles are damaged on the wall of the shower unit during the work; (4) if the work is in a confined space such as a closet; (5) if there is paneling or wall paper on the wall area; (6) if the ceramic tiles have to be installed over gypsum cement backer board: (7) if the tiles have to be installed over a concrete block wall; (8) if the ceramic tiles can not be matched and the entire shower unit area must be retiled. Consistent with prevailing contractors' prices to correct the problem, it could cost anywhere from $450 to $2,300 to correct the problem.